2012 will mark a decade of Xiu Xiu – the brainchild of San Jose’s Jamie Stewart. Now a five-piece after years of being a duo, the band have signed a new deal with UK indie Bella Union and will release their ninth studio album via the label on February 27th,

2012 will mark a decade of Xiu Xiu – the brainchild of San Jose’s Jamie Stewart. Now a five-piece after years of being a duo, the band have signed a new deal with UK indie Bella Union and will release their ninth studio album via the label on February 27th.

Famed for ‘telling all’, even when ‘all’ is extremely personal and often completely bleak, ‘Always’ is Xiu Xiu as their emotive selves, beginning with a track called ‘Hi’, which starts with the lyric, “If you’re wasting your life, say hi.” Still, the band’s last album was called ‘Dear God, I Hate Myself’, and ‘Always’ definitely finds them a little happier than that.